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HomePosts Tagged "pesticide"
Agro chems – Chemicals, AgroPolicy, Agrotech, Company News, India

The Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEFCC) approved the environmental permit for the project

Tagros has announced plans to expand its production capacity of pesticide technicals and pesticide intermediates at the Panchayankuppam SIPCOT Industrial Park in Cuddalore district, Tamil Nadu. The project will cover an additional 5.50 acres.

The Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEFCC) approved the environmental permit for the project, which is expected to commence in the first quarter of FY24, with completion scheduled for December 2024.

Tagros is one of the leading manufacturers and exporters of agrochemicals and intermediates. The company mainly synthesises Pyrethroids insecticides and Triazole fungicides, in addition to all kinds of herbicides, pesticide intermediates and other special products.

The Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate

Agrotech, Company News, Horticulture, India, Packaging & Labelling, Start ups, Supply Chain, Sustainability

Superplum has now announced eco-friendly packaging with zero plastic for their farm-fresh grapes

Superplum, a Noida-based startup, is providing consumers with safe-to-eat grapes that are tested for pesticides. Farm practices and growing methods are analysed before harvesting, and grapes are then tested by NABL-accredited labs to ensure food safety.

Superplum is committed to promoting transparency with customers by allowing them to view these pesticide test reports by scanning the QR code on their packaging. This gives customers information about where their grapes were grown and which farmer produced them and even offers them the opportunity to reward the farmer with a bonus payment. 

In an effort to improve sustainability, Superplum has now announced eco-friendly packaging with zero plastic for their farm-fresh grapes. With Indians consuming grapes in millions of plastic packs, this small change can help reduce our ecological footprint. Consumers will not only eat healthier, but they can also help contribute positively to the environment.

Superplum’s fresh grapes in their all-new eco-friendly packaging are now available online and in Delhi, NCR and Bengaluru stores.

The fresh produce industry in India has been long plagued by high levels of pesticides in grapes. While India has become one of the world’s largest table grape exporters by following global standards for pesticide residues, most Indian consumers have to consume grapes with high contaminant levels in their own country.

Superplum has now announced eco-friendly packaging with

Agrotech, India

Use of drones is a key component of the Centre’s mission of promoting digital agriculture to strengthen farming sector

Drones are becoming famous in every aspect of life—from social media reels to shipment delivery to traffic monitoring. So how can agriculture stay away? Drones have become a crucial agent for the rapid transformation of the agriculture sector worldwide. And India is no exception to it. The use of drones is a key component of the central government’s mission of promoting digital agriculture to strengthen the farming sector. State governments too are adopting it with vigour as they are experimenting with drones in farming and promoting their use.

Artificial Intelligence enabled drones are used for precision farming that increases productivity and thus farm income. Drones have multi-faceted uses. They make farm operations faster and more efficient. They also help farmers to save significant money by making optimum use of fertilisers and pesticides and by ensuring uniform sowing of seeds. Spraying chemicals is a time-consuming process and it poses a health hazard. Drones can fly at low height (1-3 metre) over the crops, which make the spraying of nutrients and pesticides effective and efficient, as well as allow farmers to assess standing crops through cameras. All this not just facilitates higher productivity but also brings down the expenses on crop inputs.

Farmers in the US, who grew corn, soybean and wheat could save around $1.3 billion every year by incorporating drones in their farm operations. There are reports that drone-led precision farming can reduce input cost by 18-20 per cent while enhancing yield by 30-100 per cent in India. Drones have shown they can be beneficial in planting seeds in the Indo-Gangetic plains, where the rice-wheat cropping system is prevalent.

Farmers can make crop surveillance of the field using infrared cameras and get real-time information about crop growth, infestation, and requirement of inputs. This helps farmers in responding to any problem sooner and take active measures to nip it in the bud. Applications of drones can also be used for mapping water spread areas, pest infestation, and livestock farming besides assisting farmers in adopting good agricultural practices (GAP). Crops can be contamination-free, making them get good export prices.

Government support and encouragement for drones was evident when the Prime Minister of India inaugurated India’s biggest Drone Festival – Bharat Drone Mahotsav in May 2022.

Prime Minister called the use of drones a “milestone” for Indian agriculture and expressed confidence it would create more opportunities. The government of India has extended huge subsidies to different agriculture-related instructors, farmers producers organisations (FPO) and custom hiring centres (CHC) for purchasing and promoting drones under a new scheme of Kisan Drone. These drones are helpful for government agencies also as they can be used for crop assessment of production estimates or to process farm insurance, digitisation of land records, and can expedite claim processing and bring transparency.

Many state governments have shown interest such as the Andhra Pradesh government has decided to procure 200 Kisan Drones, which would solve the problem of labour shortage and health hazards. As excessive rains flooded farms, Karnataka has decided to use drones for crop assessment to bring transparency. Tamil Nadu too has roped in drones as a part of the digital intervention to make agriculture and farming profitable and sustainable.Gujarat, Rajasthan too, have joined the journey of digital revolution.

Drones were used in 2020 to ward off locus attacks, saving millions of hectares of farmland. Farmers are getting first-hand experience in operating drones and their usefulness such as testing the moisture of soil, which is not possible through traditional ways. State governments are confident that drones will be game-changer not only for farmers but for the entire agri economy.

Despite knowing the importance of technology, our agriculture did not adopt it for years. However, we can see a gain in momentum now. Both central and state governments are keen on embracing it. The involvement of agri start-ups, FPOs and CHCs in drone technology will allow farmers especially those financially poor to try new technological solutions. As drones become affordable and easily accessible, more and more farmers will start using them. Moreover, drones can create employment opportunities in rural parts, especially for the tech-savvy youth and bring them back to farms. As they say, artificial intelligence is set to transform the world, drones are going to change the face of farming in the 21st century.

Use of drones is a key component

Acts & Schemes – Centre, Agro chems – Pesticides, AgroPolicy, India, Uncategorized

Only allowed for pest control operators

The Indian government has restricted the use of the chemical Glyphosate, via an official order on October 25. The use of Glyphosate poses a risk to the health and lives of humans and animals alike. The government has officially restricted the use of Glyphosate. The herbicide, glyphosate has been registered for use in India under the Insecticides Act of 1968 for weed control only in tea plantations, but is illegally being used for weed removal across a number of food and non-food crop fields and premises of houses, institutions as well as to remove the growth of vegetation everywhere.
From now Glyphosate only can be used for pest control operators (PCO). PCOs are licensed to use deadly chemicals for treating pests such as rodents. As part of the implementation of the order, the government asked the holders of the registration certificates to return the certificates for further process, and also says if any person fails to return the registration certificates within three months; appropriate action will be taken under the Insecticides Act of 1968. The order also says that each state government has to look into this and shall take all such steps under the provisions of the said Act and the rules framed there under, as it considers necessary, for executing this order in the State.
Glyphosate, a synthetic herbicide patented in 1974 by the Monsanto Company and now manufactured and sold by many companies in hundreds of products, has been associated with cancer and other health concerns. The toxic chemical has been banned or severely restricted in more than 35 countries of which are Sri Lanka, Netherlands, France, Colombia, Canada, Israel, and Argentina.

Only allowed for pest control operatorsThe Indian

Agro chems – Pesticides, Company News

FMC India, an agricultural sciences company, launched the third year of its safety awareness and stewardship campaign around pesticide use for the farming community in the Indian district of Akola, in partnership with the agriculture department of the Maharashtra state government. This campaign builds on an initiative which FMC India started in Akola in 2020, to promote the adoption of safe agricultural practices aimed at preventing accidental cases of poisoning amongst the farming community.
Elaborating on the awareness campaign, Ravi Annavarapu, President, FMC India, said, “FMC is heavily invested in the welfare of the farming community in India. As such, we have been training farmers on safe and sustainable agricultural practices over many years. Our campaign in 2021 reached 7,500 farmers in the different villages throughout Akola, and we firmly believe that this year’s campaign will scale up to new levels and reach an even wider farmer community to improve their awareness and knowledge.”
As part of the campaign, FMC India collaborates with the government’s agriculture department, health department and Krishi Vigyan Kendra (agricultural extension centers in India) to organise farmer meetings and education sessions about the proper usage of pesticides in different crop seasons and crop varieties. Mobile vans are mobilised on a mass scale to ensure education sessions are offered to a large number of villages and farmers throughout Akola.
This year’s campaign was launched in the presence of Akola District CEO Saurabh Katiyar, Akola District Zila Parishad President Pratibhatai Bhojane, Additional CEO Dr Saurabh Pawar, Akola District Superintendent of Agriculture Aaarif Shah, former Zila Parishad President Pushpatai Ingale, Akola District Agriculture Development Officer Muralidhar Ingale, District Quality Controller Milind Janjal, along with FMC India’s Area Marketing Manager Hiraman Mandal.

FMC India, an agricultural sciences company, launched

Agro chems – Pesticides, Inputs, Latin America, World

Bayer has launched Roundup Top in Argentina as the most concentrated glyphosate herbicide on the market. It is reportedly delivering very good performance among those who have already accessed this new product. Roundup Top addresses the issue of sustainability. Being the most concentrated liquid product on the market, it reduces the amount of plastic utilised for drums. Also, by changing the colour of the container for a white one, the segregation of the containers is improved. 

Alejandro Sebastian Gómez, Herbicides Manager – Regional Marketing Conosur en Bayer Crop Science, Argentina, reveals, “This herbicide is specifically for the pre-emergent and post-emergent control of annual and perennial weeds, both grasses and broadleaf, it is absorbed by leaves and green tissues, taking it to the roots, ensuring its effectiveness”. Gómez adds, “Important trials have been carried out to prove the efficacy of the product, we have done them with fallow land, within what are the main weeds and we have seen differences in performance, with much better results.” He also details that synergy can be done with the rest of the Bayer portfolio

Bayer has also decided to give a guarantee on Roundup Top. Gómez explains, “The producer will find the guarantee and even a refund in the terms and conditions in the event that the product does not meet the agreed conditions. That benefit is unique to the Roundup line. ″

The Bayer manager detailed what is coming for the firm for the remainder of 2022. In the context of the current instability in the country, Bayer is in a good market position since Roundup is produced by them in Argentina, therefore the bet is to continue growing ’with enormous challenges’. 

Bayer has launched Roundup Top in Argentina

Agro chems – Pesticides, Agrotech

Cornex and Zanet has been initially launched in Maharashtra and will be available soon in other parts of the country

Dhanuka Agritech has launched a herbicide and a fungicide for maize and tomato crops. The herbicide is targeted for the protection of maize crops by weed management whereas the fungicide has been introduced focussed on tomato crop protection from fungus and bacteria. The two products Cornex and Zanet have been launched in Maharashtra and will be soon available in other parts of the country. 

Cornex has been developed in technical collaboration with Nissan Chemicals, Japan and is based on Japanese technology. Zanet has been developed in collaboration with two Japanese companies, Hokko Chemical Industry and Nippon Soda, Japan.

Cornex and Zanet has been initially launched

Agro chems – Pesticides

The concern of disposal of empty pesticide containers needs to be addressed collectively by all stakeholders

CropLife India, an association of 16 R&D driven crop science companies, and the leading voice of the plant science industry in India, organised a Virtual International Symposium on Empty Pesticide Containers (EPC) Management in India – Roadmap for Sustainable Management of Empty Pesticide Containers; which was attended by delegates from across the world including Asia, Europe and Africa. 

A Discussion Paper – Roadmap for Sustainable Management of Empty Pesticide Containers was released on during the symposium by Dr S K Malhotra, Chairman Registration Committee, Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, Government of India; Dr K K Sharma, Former Network Coordinator, All India Network Project on Pesticide Residues, Indian Agricultural Research Institute and other dignitaries.

Dr S K Malhotra, Chairman Registration Committee, Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, Government of India said, “There is an upsurge of demand for safe food crops. The industry has been forthcoming in registering newer and greener chemistry. In order to be sustainable, the concern of disposal of empty pesticide containers needs to be addressed collectively by all stakeholders hence lowering the burden on the environment.”

Dr K K Sharma, Former Network Coordinator, All India Network Project on Pesticide Residues, Indian Agricultural Research Institute said, “As per the study conducted by the All India Network Project on Pesticide Residues, Indian Agricultural Research Institute; used pesticide containers should be rinsed three times thus making them safe to dispose and recycle in the country. The study results can be considered to support re-classification of triple rinsed empty pesticide containers in India as non-hazardous.”

The concern of disposal of empty pesticide

Agro chems – Pesticides

Orchestra is a new Japanese technology for effective Rice Brown Plant Hopper (BPH) management with excellent safety for beneficial insects

Nichino India, a subsidiary of the Japanese agrochemical company Nihon Nohyaku Co, has announced the launch of insecticide Orchestra in the Indian market in a special launch event held in Hyderabad.

Orchestra is a new Japanese technology for effective Rice Brown Plant Hopper (BPH) management with excellent safety for beneficial insects.

Speaking on the occasion, Tomooka Naohiro San, Managing Director, Nichino India explained that the launch of this unique product will stand as testimony to good bilateral cooperation in the fields of innovation & manufacturing technologies between India and Japan. He further explained that the products are developed through joint research by company in Japan and India and will be made available in both Japan and Indian Markets. He also revealed that the company is planning to produce more such products by taking inspiration from Make in India initiative by the Government of India.

DG Shetty San, Director & COO, stated that Orchestra is the first product based on the Novel technology BPX that was developed through research held for more than ten years.

Revealing the future plans of the company Hemant Singh San, National Sales Manager, said “We are aiming to launch 3 new innovative actives this year which are meant to solve some devastating pest problems of Indian farmers.”

Orchestra is a new Japanese technology for

Agro chems – Chemicals

The pioneering solution is powered by BASF’s new active ingredient, Broflanilide in a specialised formulation

BASF has announced the launch of Exponus insecticide for farmers in India to protect their crops and boost productivity. The pioneering solution is powered by BASF’s new active ingredient, Broflanilide in a specialised formulation.

Offering a new mode of action for the control of key insect pests, Exponus gives farmers a powerful, quick & versatile tool for controlling variety of insect pests and overcome resistance to prevailing chemistries, as part of integrated pest management program. Exponus is registered for use on various largely cultivated crops under Oil seeds, Pulses & Vegetables segment to control critical insect pests such as Caterpillars & Thrips.

“Farmers in India will now benefit from our latest innovation in crop protection” said Narayan Krishnamohan, Managing Director, BASF India Limited. “Farming is the biggest job on earth. At BASF, we are dedicated to listening and working alongside farmers to understand their needs, so that we apply our expertise to help them successfully face the enormous challenge of protecting crops from pests and boosting productivity.”

With its unique mode of action, Exponus insecticide is among the first compounds in the market introduced under the new IRAC group 30 which represents a totally new class of insecticides which has no known cross-resistance with existing products in the market, making it a superior insecticide resistance management tool.

 “This innovation reaffirms BASF’s commitment to help farmers across boundaries in managing a variety of existing & emerging pests with the lowest use rates compared to current standards. Using Exponus will help Indian farmers for effective & long duration protection against insect pests in wide variety of crops.” said Rajendra Velagala, Business Director, Agricultural Solutions, South Asia, BASF.

The pioneering solution is powered by BASF’s

Agro chems – Chemicals, Inputs

Corprima will provide tomato and okra farmers across the country with superior crop protection against fruit borers

FMC India, an agricultural sciences company, has announced that it has launched a new insecticide Corprima.

Powered by FMC’s world’s leading Rynaxypyr insect control technology, Corprima will provide tomato and okra farmers across the country with superior crop protection against fruit borers.

The innovative insecticide Corprima has been proven to deliver better returns on investment to farmers by having a longer duration pest control as well as enhanced flower and fruit retention leading to larger harvests of better quality.

According to the Indian Institute of Vegetable Research, tomato farmers across the country lose up to 65 per cent of their yields to fruit borers every year. The infestation of this pest leads to flower dropping and poor plant health resulting in poor quality fruiting, thus adversely impacting crop yields.

Corprima, powered by Rynaxypyr active, promises to provide a superior and long-lasting protection from fruit borer pests which saves farmers’ time, costs and effort to protect their crops.

FMC India President, Ravi Annavarapu said, “The past year saw a record horticultural crop production in the country. However, every year, tomato and okra farmers incur heavy losses due to fruit borer pests, diseases and post-harvest losses amongst other factors. At FMC, we use innovation to solve the challenges faced by farmers by introducing sustainable products and solutions. The introduction of Corprima is a testimony to FMC’s commitment to bring novel solutions to meet farmers’ crop protection needs. I’m confident that Corprim will help tomato and okra farmers improve their incomes through higher yields of better quality.”

Introduced in 6gm, 17gm and 34gm packs, Corprima will meet the crop protection needs of small, marginal and big farmers.

Corprima will provide tomato and okra farmers

Agro chems – Chemicals, Agro chems – Pesticides

Developed by Japan’s Nisan Chemical Corporation, the compound exhibits excellent control of chewing and sucking pests such as larva, caterpillars, and thrips on farms

Godrej Agrovet has launched Gracia (Fluxametamide, an isoxazoline compound) in the Indian market. Gracia is patented chemistry discovered and developed by Japan’s Nisan Chemical Corporation and will be introduced in India through collaboration with Godrej Agrovet.

The solution exhibits excellent control of chewing and sucking pests such as larva, caterpillars, and thrips in farms producing a variety of pulses, hot pepper, cole crops, tomatoes, brinjal and okra. It allosterically inhibits GABA gated chloride channel in the insect’s nervous system.

Gracia aims to provide more extended duration and effectiveness in controlling pests and excellent rain fastness.

Developed by Japan’s Nisan Chemical Corporation, the

Agro chems – Pesticides

The product has been initially launched in Andhra Pradesh and later will be launched in Karnataka and Eastern states

Agrochemicals company PI Industries has launched Distruptor, a pesticide against brown planthopper (BPH) in rice crop. The product was launched in the presence of PI Industries CEO, Prashant Hegde along with marketing head Dushyant Sood and production head Kishore Nagarkar.

According to Hegde, the Distruptor was widely tested in various places across Andhra Pradesh and will be launched later in Karnataka and in the Eastern states.

The product has been initially launched in

AgroPolicy, Agrotech, Interaction

As per the data by the Directorate General of Commercial Intelligence and Statistics (DGCI&S), exports of agricultural and processed food products under Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) basket rose to $20,674 million (Rs 153,050 crore) during 2020-21, from $17,321 million (Rs 83,484 crore) in 2011-12. Non-Basmati Rice has emerged as India’s top export item among the many agricultural and processed food product exports under APEDA basket, contributing close to one fourth of the total exports in 2020-21. On the other side, the food grain export industry is struggling with issues such as rejection of food grain consignments by 27 European countries due to pesticide residue. Narendra Singh Tomar, Union Minister, Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, Government of India shares his views on new technologies and government’s strategies to mitigate various issues of the agriculture sector with AgroSpectrum

Recently, the government has released standard operating procedures (SOPs) for the use of drones in the farm sector, including for spraying pesticides as well as other soil and crop nutrients. What is the future strategy of the government about usage of drone technology in agri-allied industry? 

The Government of India is committed to the use of technology in the agriculture sector. Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, we are trying to use the technology in various sub-sectors of agriculture. The Centre has transferred more than Rs 1,60,000 crore in the accounts of 11.5 crore farmers under the PM Kisan Samman scheme by using digital technology.

Last year India faced severe locust attacks in many states. With the help of helicopters, we tried to spray the pesticides on damaged crops but we realised that use of drone technology will definitely resolve this issue. After seeking essential permissions from the civil aviation ministry and other concerned ministries, we are ready to use drone technology for the agriculture sector.  

Under the Digital Agriculture Mission, we are planning to use drone technology for crop analysis, analysis of damaged crops due to natural calamities and also for agricultural research. We are also planning to use drone technology, for getting digital records of agricultural lands for farmers at one place. Farmers will not only get information about their loan status but also about the updated information of government schemes for the farmers. Government officials can also cross verify the information about the number of farmers who received the benefits of various schemes for farmers under Digital Agriculture Mission (DAM). Till date we have connected 4.5 crore farmers through DAM. We aimed to connect 6 crore farmers to DAM in the next five years.

Karnataka State Government has already submitted a project on ‘Use of drone technology for land records’ to the agriculture ministry. After completing all necessary discussions and obtaining permission from concerned ministries, we are planning to implement drone technology for land records in other states also.

How do you foresee the future of the agri industry in India in the next five years?

Centre is giving preference to agri industry in order to make agriculture and agri-allied industry more profitable. Centre has released various schemes to help farmers and agripreneurs in the last two years. Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) are playing a vital role in the growth of small-scale farmers. FPOs are helping farmers in processing their produce near farm gates. Government has started Kisan Rail with climate and temperature – controlled containers for perishable agri produce such as fruits to overcome the food loss in transportation.

Government has provided Rs 16 crore funds for interest subsidy for farmers. Infrastructure facilities such as warehousing have been developed in villages, so that farmers will get better prices for their produce. Centre has provided Rs 1 lakh crore fund for agri-infrastructure, Rs 15,000 crore for animal husbandry, Rs 20,000 crore for fish farming and Rs10,000 crore for agri-food processing industry. Besides this, Centre has also provided Rs 4,000 crore for herbal farming and Rs 5,000 crore for the beekeeping industry.

It has sanctioned various projects for the agriculture sector which will benefit the farmer at large level. Gradually, farmers are connecting to FPOs for better agri-inputs and better price for their produce. New generations of farmers will definitely take farming to a new level with the help of new technologies and innovations. The future of agriculture and agri-industry is bright as technology is making a difference in aspects of agriculture.

The government has announced that it is planning to issue globally valid certification to organic farmers so that they can take their products abroad. What steps will be taken by the Ministry of Agriculture for the growth of organic farmers?

Government is trying to focus on organic farming considering increasing demand for organic agri produce in the domestic and international market. We have made essential changes in the rules and regulations related to the organic farming certification process in order to make it transparent and less complicated. If needed we will decentralise the process of organic farming certification. We have identified the states such as Jammu & Kashmir, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Odisha, Ladakh, Madhya Pradesh, Sikkim and Andaman Nicobar which have the tribal blocks and never used chemical fertilisers and pesticides till date for crops. We have also requested the state governments to analyse such areas where chemical fertilisers and pesticides have not been used for years and certify them as ‘Organic farming land’. So that we can announce such states as ‘Organic States’. We will arrange training sessions for scientific practices of organic farming for the farmers in these states in order to get better prices for their farm produce.

Recently, Basmati rice export consignments from Punjab and Haryana had been rejected by 27 European countries due to pesticide residue in crops. What measures is the agriculture ministry taking to mitigate this issue?

Indian farmers should follow the international quality standards for food crops if they want to make farming profitable. I think FPO is the biggest step to mitigate this issue. The Agriculture ministry has already started the process of making 10,000 FPOs across the country. Small-scale farmers should connect with FPOs for best quality agri-inputs and good farming practices. Farmers should also give preference to cash crops to get better prices in the market. FPOs will help the farmers in getting good quality agri-inputs, effective use of latest technologies and innovations in farming. Thus FPOs will help the farmers to maintain the quality of the farm produce as per international standards through the use of latest agri-technologies at moderate rates. Small–scale farmers need proper training on usage of chemical pesticides and fertilisers for maintaining the quality of farm produce. When farmers will come together in clusters under FPOs, it will be convenient and easy to conduct training sessions.

In this way, when farmers will be aware of good farming practices and ill effects of chemical fertilisers, pesticides on the quality of their farm produce, it definitely makes an impact on export of food crops. 

As per government’s Fourth Advance Estimates for 2020-21, total food grain production in the country is estimated at record 308.65 million tonnes which is higher by 11.14 million tonnes than the production of food grain during 2019-20. The production during 2020-21 is higher by 29.77 million tonnes than the previous five years’ (2015-16 to 2019-20) average production of food grains. In such a situation, what will be the strategy of the government to make food crop production more profitable?

The Agriculture ministry is trying to make food crop production more profitable in various ways. We are trying to coordinate with the Consumer Affairs Ministry, Commence Ministry and APEDA for better utilisation of surplus production. We will focus more on processing of food crops to increase the profitability of farmers.

What is the future strategy of the government about conducting field trials of Genetically Modified (GM) crops in India?

It will be too early to comment on GM crop trials in India. In the future the government will definitely come up with the decision on GM crop trials. 

                                                                                                           Dipti Barve

                                                                                                    dipti.barve@mmactiv.com

As per the data by the Directorate